The Wood Library-Museum

Draeger Pulmotor

The Pulmotor was introduced by the Draeger company, of Lubeck, Germany, in 1907. This example was made by a Draeger branch in Pittsburgh, PA. The Pumotor was the first artificial respiration device that could automatically deliver gas and/or air at specific volumes. It was designed to resuscitate the victims of mine disasters, and also became popular for victims of smoke inhalation, drowning and electric shock. This and similar resuscitators were repeatedly denounced by Dr. Yandell Henderson (1873-1944), who specialized in respiratory physiology. He reported that they did not detect obstructions in the airway, and that the delay caused by setting up the apparatus could lead to brain damage or death. Despite these drawbacks, Pulmotors were used extensively in Europe and the U. S. as late as the 1940s.

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